Choices

Chapter 29
"I know that look." Cephera chimed as she swayed her way across his tower floor and planted her ass on his desktop. "You're entranced with that thing." Loki smirked, and looked back down at his nameday gift. Much like Thor's nameday, his went the same. At first, Loki had been disappointed he hadn't gotten some unique weapon of great power, but when he look more closely at the book Odin had given him, he was floored.
It was no ordinary spell book. It was extremely rare and powerful. Loki was surprised Odin gave such a thing to him. The book was well sought after. Loki was overwhelmed with the gift. "Do you know what this is?" He asked her, turning it her way.
"It's obviously a very important spell book. I mean, anything that could bring you here after a party, and not to your room with a pretty date has to be darn important." Loki analyzed her a second. When had they become this close? It had been a couple of years now since her coming of age and somehow she'd become a part of his everyday life. No day was complete without Cephera.
She was there for him to laugh at him when he returned from other adventures with Thor and the warriors three. The day he came back and his hair had gotten singed in a fire Thor started, she had helped him cut his hair to a better length to compensate. Normally he'd have gone to his mother, but Cephera had been the first one he saw on his return. The time he'd caught a illness and was in bed sick, his mother and Cephera came to check in him often and made sure to attend to the sores that had broken out along his back.
"It is a very rare, very important spell book. The spells in here are highly advanced, and most people never conquer them, but I will." Loki rubbed his hands together.
"When do we start?" She asked.
"Start what?" Loki gave her a puzzled look.
"Start learning spells from this, silly." She giggled.
"WE won't. Cephera you're still learning medium powered spells, the ones in here would be too much for you. And I'd rather not try and teach you anything that I haven't perfected." She frowned and got that considering look on her face.
"Fine, what are we going to do today. You've missed a lot of training with me since you started to go with Thor off realm." She pouted. He hated when she pouted. It made him feel bad, and Loki hated feeling bad for anything. She was right though. He had been squandering their time training. Loki was more excited for the thrill of the journey's Thor led their group on. He didn't admit to his excitement, but it was there each time Thor announced a new trip.
"I'll come get you before the sun rises tomorrow morning. We'll put your invisibility to the test, at last." Loki told her. He watched the apple she'd picked up off his desk get tossed from hand to hand as she listened. "You'll need to hold the spell while moving throughout the palace." Back and forth, back and forth. It was irritating and distracting. He hated how she played with her food. Loki stood sharply and grabbed the apple.
"Hey!" She cried her eyes wide and mouth gaping.
"Stop playing with them." He growled, then he studied it. Looking at her pleading face, Loki took the biggest bite he could. She gave an indignant sound that made him smirk. Out of spite he threw the remainder in the trash.
"You're horrible sometimes." She growled, crossing her arms and huffing.
"Sometimes?" He cocked his head sideways.
"Contrary to popular belief, you are not that horrible and certainly not all the time. Beneath that icy exterior is a soft squishy interior." She grinned from ear to ear and Loki rolled his eyes.
"Please do me a favor and keep that observation to yourself." Loki told her.
"Why? If more people knew what a nice guy you could be, maybe you'd have more ladies to choose from for a good time." She let out another giggle.
"I have no problems with the ladies... Why am I even talking about this with you? You have no relationship experience, let alone sexual." Loki pointed out.
"Yes, but that's because I'm picky. I've had plenty of men make a move to have me, I've just spurred their advances." She shrugged in that casual way she always spoke of love and sex. Loki couldn't understand her thoughts on the matter. He never met anyone so uninterested in human contact. She seemed content to watch everyone around her pass through relationships and sleep alone, or with her sister when she was available.
Loki had even tried to interest her with men, at his own nameday the night before. Cephera had just laughed at his attempts to change her mind and danced off. Coming of age changed her body and her strength, but not her state of mind. Loki felt she was compensating for something. Perhaps, a fear of some kind. Either way, that part of his friend was a mystery.
"Tomorrow, before the sun rises. Be dressed and ready to go." He reminded her cutting off their previous conversation.
"Fine." She agreed scratching her head where her hair was pinned.
"Did my mother do your hair again?" Loki chuckled. His mother had a tendency to make her coifs tight enough to last the day.
"Yeah, she does a wonderful job, but my hair is pulling against the pins." Cephera admitted. "It's nice though. I like having my hair played with. My sister once said I'm like a doll, always getting my hair done and dressing in crazy fashions." She rubbed down the front of her yellow bodice. This outfit had no sleeves. It was the most of Cephera's upper half Loki had ever seen revealed. He had noticed a small change in her style of clothing, her choice of clothes were more like what a woman would wear, were as before she'd dress in things he'd consider for a child. Her new look suited her, and was likely part of why men had been making a move.
She hopped down off the desk and brushed out her skirt. "Where are you off to now?" Loki asked.
"It's a secret." Cephera winked and walked out. Loki glared at the closed door and then looked at his book. He was interested in what this 'secret' was, but he was more interested in his new gift. He pushed the questions of what Cephera was off doing aside, and turned his book back to face him and opened it.
***
Morning broke and Loki jumped out of bed. He was excited to begin the day. He dressed and rushed to Cephera's room. He didn't knock, but instead walked in. "Wow, excuse you." She growled jumping from in front of the mirror.
"What? I told you to be dressed and ready... which you are." He told her.
"Still you should always knock on a ladies door." She protested.
"You're a different king of lady, your a friend." Loki reminded her. A smile broke across her face, eating away her annoyance.
"What are we doing?" She asked finishing off her hair into one long braid.
"You'll see," Loki said. "Now, let's see you vanish." Cephera did as she was told. Inch by inch she disappeared and when Loki was satisfied she was all invisible, he followed suit. "Follow me, and remember invisible doesn't mean you can't be heard."
"How do I follow you if I can't see you?" Cephera responded. Loki had been so excited he hadn't thought of that.
"Take my hand." He told her groping her way.
"Hey, that was my ass." She warned. Loki laughed when she grabbed his hand to avoid any more mistaken grabs. With her small, soft hand in his grasp, Loki pulled her to follow him. Through the castle and down to the throne room. Entering, the room was empty. "Why here?" She asked, confused.
"Shush." He replied and pulling her further alone. He placed them behind a pillar, as if they needed the cover of it.
"Loki...,"
"Trust me, sweet songbird," he said in his sweetest voice. The plea he knew would pull at her emotions, and make her compliant. She was easily manipulated and, Loki had learned which ways he pulled best to get her to listen. He wasn't sure if it was because they were friends, that it was so easy, but he didn't complain. He had a partner in crime now and she didn't even know it.
She stayed quiet this time, waiting for whatever it was he had planned. When the sun was finally breaking over the distance and spreading light into the throne room, through the doors walked Loki's father, Odin, dressed in his daily armor. He mounted the stairs to the throne and sat, getting ready to receive any concerns or complaints from the general pubic. This was what he did every morning, Loki should know, he often spied on the conversations. Loki learned a lot from observing the way Odin handled the people.
"Begin." Odin called to the guards when they were in place. Loki held back a grunt when Cephera pinched him in the side once she realized what they were intended to do. The first two people were boring, idle problems that his father quickly dismissed and put those people in their place. People trying to use the crowns power for meagre problems and wasting Odin's time. Loki would have done the same.
The third however, peeked Loki's interest. A beautiful, tall, and curvy woman walked in. Loki had seen her only once before. She was Freya. "All Father," she said bowing to her knee and then returning to her straight posture.
"Freya, it has been many years since I've last spoken to you. Could it be you've found what you need for me to allow funding?"
"Yes and no. I've found a builder willing to repair the walls around my villa to protect my lands from the wanderers in the mountains, but he has a cost of his own." Her voice carried like wisps of feathers on the air. Loki had heard of many a man who sought this woman out.
"And the cost?" Odin sat back slightly bored looking.
"My hand in marriage." Freya narrowed her eyes at the thought. "He boasts that he, with the help of his stallion, can help repair my wall in a single year." Odin stroked his beard. "I was hoping you might have something more alluring to offer him." Loki gave it a moment of his own thoughts. He enjoyed seeing if he could think of the same, if not better, solution as Odin.
There was continued silence when Loki thought of something brilliant. Relinquishing Cephera's hand, Loki walked out toward his father and Freya. "I know what to do father." Loki declared letting his spell fade.
"Loki!" Cephera hissed, breaking her own spell in shock. Odin looked down to Loki and then over to Cephera, his eyebrow rose in amusement.
Odin leaned forward his eyes locking onto his youngest son. "And what would that be?"
"Accept the offer."
"Excuse me?" Freya sounded angered. Her voice raising an octave. Odin held up his hand to silence her.
"Explain," Odin said.
"The kind of wall needed to keep out mountain beasts and invaders would be a very thick, very large wall. Such a structure would not be possible to finish in only a year. Take your terms back to him, if he fails to finish the wall he gets no payment and he finishes all the work for free." Loki smirked. "And I'm sure he will fail."
"All Father?" Freya looked to the King for his opinion. Loki also gazed up at his father, desperate for approval. A deep longing in the pit of his stomach to make his voice heard and respected.
"On the information we have, I would also agree." Odin replied and a sweep of relief brushed Loki and stroked his ego, and confidence.
Freya gave a bow to the King before turning to Loki. "If this works, and I get my wall for free, I'll owe you many thanks, young prince." She smiled at Loki and then saw herself out. Cephera had moved to stand near Loki and she frowned at him.
"What?" He asked, not understanding her discontent.
"Perhaps, she is not pleased that your little spy game turned upside down." Odin chuckled walking down his steps and placing a hand to Loki's shoulder. "I would think, as two young people, that you would have better thing to do then to spy on official proceedings." He raised his brow once more.
"I apologize, I swear this wasn't my idea." Cephera stepped up her face a bold red and her eyes wide with worry.
Odin laughed. "I find it more amusing that you find this a fun pass time. You are not in trouble. My more important proceedings you'd have never been able to infiltrate." Odin patted Loki's shoulder. "In the future, there is no need to hide. It's a warming feeling that you take interest in the every day problems of our kingdom."
Loki beamed with pride and grinned at his friend who was glaring at him. She wasn't amused by his trick to pull her into his world of mischief. Loki shrugged her way, and at his father's offer, they both stayed to watch the next few meetings.

Notes